Mortality and causes of death: 6 years of monitoring treated drug users

Abstract Background This study aims to analyse mortality among deceased cohort members from 2009-2015 in Slovenia in terms of causes of death. Cohort follows illicit drug users who were registered for the first time or repeatedly in Centres for illicit drug usage prevention and treatment. Methods 5157 subjects entered in a retrospective cohort study who were observed for 29.146 years. Data on deceased drug users from 2009 to 2012 were cross-linked with data from the General Mortality Register for the period 2009-2015. Results During 2009-2015 total of 153 deaths were recorded, mean age at death was 39.5 years. In almost three quarters violent death was the prevalent cause; among somatic causes alcoholic liver cirrhosis was the most frequent cause of death, followed by malignancies. Violent deaths occurred due to unintentional poisoning in 37%, followed by deaths from unidentified causes (11%), suicides (17%) and road accidents (2%). One half of suicides were committed by hanging. Conclusions Public health policies in the field of addiction should be more intensely focused on education on alcohol damage due to drinking, screening for patients with overdose risk and in establishing specific programs and strategies for reducing the risk of suicide in this population. Key messages Drug users should receive education on alcohol damage due to drinking. Drug users are in the risk of suicide.